Canada is set to lift vaccine requirements for people entering country / News - Basketnews.com

Canada is set to drop the vaccine requirement for people who enter the country by the end of September, which impacts NBA players as they now will be able to travel to Toronto to play against the Raptors.

Credit: USA Today Sports-Scanpix Credit USA Today Sports-Scanpix

Canada likely will drop the vaccine requirement for people who enter the country by the end of September, according to multiple reports Tuesday. This move would impact unvaccinated professional athletes who travel to Canada for games, including NBA players that go to Toronto to play against the Raptors.

To enter the country, the Canadian government currently requires a person to have received a second COVID-19 vaccine dose or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least 14 days before entry. But the government likely will be dropping the requirement, pending a final sign-off from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Last month, it was reported that the NBA teams were informed via a memo that players still need to have either received a primary course of a COVID-19 vaccine, or been given a medical clearance from getting one, in order to play games in Canada. But that would no longer be necessary once the restrictions are lifted.

The rules date back to the middle of last season. Kyrie Irving and Matisse Thybulle were forced to miss multiple games due to their stance on COVID-19 vaccines.

This season, the Raptors will play at least 44 games in Canada: pre-season matches in Edmonton against the Utah Jazz; Montreal against the Boston Celtics; and Toronto against the Chicago Bulls. On top of that, their typical 41 regular-season home games at Scotiabank Arena and any additional playoff games.

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